by William M. Welch and Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

by William M. Welch and Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES - Incoming mayor Eric Garcetti is the first Jewish candidate elected to lead Los Angeles and a familiar veteran of City Hall politics.

Garcetti, 42, president of the City Council representing a district including Hollywood, defeated City Controller Wendy Greuel in Tuesday's election that was marked by low turnout. Greuel was trying to be the city's first female mayor.

Garcetti, who is also Latino, takes office July 1, replacing two-term Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in a city that, like many others in California, has struggled with budget deficits and revenue shortfalls.

"L.A. is ready to put the recession in the rear-view mirror and to become the city of opportunity that I grew up in once again," Garcetti said Wednesday.

Villaraigosa, the city's first Latino mayor in over 100 years, was unable to run for re-election because of term limits and did not endorse a candidate to be his successor.

"I know I am leaving Los Angeles in good hands," Villaraigosa said.

Though they ran in a non-partisan election, both Greuel and Garcetti - like Villaraigosa - have deep ties to national Democrats.

Garcetti was an early backer of Barack Obama's presidential bid. Greuel was an early supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton for president in 2008 and had campaign support from former president Bill Clinton.

The new mayor boasts an ethnic background that aligns him with many in the diverse city. His father is Mexican-American of Spanish and Italian descent, and his mother is of Russian-Jewish descent. Garcetti described himself as half-Mexican, half-Jewish with "an Italian last name." He will be L.A.'s youngest mayor in more than a century.

"He ran as a uniter, somebody who can bring people together, and given his background, that's a natural attitude to take," said Jack Pitney, political science professor at Claremont McKenna College.

Voter interest was low because of few perceived policy differences between the candidates, both fixtures at City Hall, Pitney said. He said Greuel was hurt by perceptions she was close to public worker unions. "I think what drove Republicans and moderates into Garcetti's camp was the idea (Greuel) would give away too much to the unions," he said.

Greuel urged supporters to back the new mayor. "I may not have been able to break through the glass ceiling last night, but you sure helped me put a crack in it," she said.

Garcetti's father, Gil Garcetti, was the elected district attorney who unsuccessfully prosecuted O.J. Simpson for murder in a celebrated 1995 trial.

The new mayor boasts an ethnic background that aligns him with many in the diverse city. His father is Mexican-American of Spanish and Italian descent, and his mother is of Russian-Jewish descent. Garcetti described himself as half-Mexican, half-Jewish with "an Italian last name." He will be L.A.'s youngest mayor in more than a century.

"He ran as a uniter, somebody who can bring people together, and given his background, that's a natural attitude to take," said Jack Pitney, political science professor at Claremont McKenna College.

Voter interest was low because of few perceived policy differences between the candidates, both fixtures at City Hall, Pitney said. He said Greuel was hurt by perceptions she was close to public worker unions. "I think what drove Republicans and moderates into Garcetti's camp was the idea (Greuel) would give away too much to the unions," he said.

Greuel urged supporters to back the new mayor. "I may not have been able to break through the glass ceiling last night, but you sure helped me put a crack in it," she said.